Apparatus for aiming guns.



R. H. S. BACON & R. REDPATH.

I APPARATUS FOR AIMING suns. I APPLICATION FILED JUNE 24, 1912. 1,@67,859 Patented July 22,1913.

a SHEETS-sum 1.

R. H. s. BACON & R. REDPATH. APPARATUS FOR AIMING GUNS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 24, 1912.

1,06%859Q Patented July 22; 1913.

8 BHEETB'SHEET 2.

, Wttlwgsms' R. H. S. BAGON & R. REDPATH.

APPARATUS FOR. AIMING GUNS.

APPLIOATION FILED JUNB24, 1912'.

1,067,859., Patented July 22,1913.

- 4 8 SHEETS-SHEET 3. F 1y. 5.

R. H. S. BACON & R. REDPATH.

APPARATUS FOR AIMING GUNS.

APPLICATION rum) JUNE, 1912.

l,@67,859., Patented July 22,1913.

8 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

R. H. S. BACON & R. REDPATH.

APPARATUS FOR AIMING GUNS. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 24, 1912.

Patented July 22, 1913.

a SHEETS-SHEET a.

R. H. S. BACON & R. RBDPATH.

APPARATUS FOR AIMING GUNS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 24, 1912.

1,067,859. Patented July 22, 1913.

8 SHEETS-SHEET 7.

R. H. S. BACON & R. REDPATH.

APPARATUS FOR AIMING GUNS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 2-1, 1912.

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REGINALD H. S. BACON AND ROBERT REDPATH, OF COVENTRY, ENGLAND, ASSIGNORS TO THE COVENTRY ORDINANCE WORKS, LIMITED, OF COVENTRY, ENGLAND.

APPARATUS FOR AIMING GUNS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 22, 1913.

Application filed June 24, 1912. Serial No. 705,466.

SPENCER BACON and ROBE-ET REDPATH, subjects of the King of Great Britain, both residing at the Coventry Ordnance Works,

Coventry, in the county of Warwick, Eng-' land, have invented new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Aiming Guns, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to gun mountings and sights therefor, particularly to those intended to be used against rapidly moving targets, such as aeroplanes, torpedo boats, and the-like, and has for its object means whereby the gun sights are automatically adjusted so as to give the correct angle between the axis of the gun and the line of sight for range and speed of target at all ranges within the radius of action of the gun.

According to this invention the sights move with the range finder which itself forms a part of the gun mounting and the act of laying the gun makes all the required corrections.

Figure 1 consists of diagrams explaining the invention. Fig. 2 is a left hand side elevation of a gun mounting fitted with our sighting gear. Fig. 3 is a right hand side elevation. Fig. 4 is a front elevation. Fig. 5 is a part front elevation of the sight set ting and controlling gear to a larger scale than Figs. 2 to 4.. Fig. 6 is a longitudinal vertical section of the same looking in the same direction. Fig. 7 is a sectional plan on the line 7-7, Fig. 6. F rig. 8 is a sectional plan on the line 8-8, 6. Fig. 9 is a part end elevation looking from the left hand side of the gun. Fig. 10 is a part end elevation looking from the right hand side of the gun. Figs. 11 to 13 are sections on the lines 1111, 1212, and 13-13, Fig. 6. Fig. 14 is a part longitudinal vertical sec: ticn on the line 14l4, Fig. 12. Figs. 15 and 16 are views similar to Figs. 5 and 9 and showing a modification.

We will consider first with reference to Fig. 1 the case of a target moving in a plane approximately at right angles to the pivot of the gun mounting, andat right angles to the line of fire. The deflection angle, that is the angle between'thefprojections of the guns axis andthe line 0 sight on the plane considered, is given by tan. 5:'vt/Vt (or since 5 is a small angle by.5=ct/Vt) where o=velocity of the target, V=n ean velocity of the projectile, (the vertical component being neglected) and t time of flight of projectile. Now, if the sights remain steadily on the target, a. e., if the gun is trained around its pivot with the same angular velocity as the target has with respect to the gun, o is the angle trained through in time t and therefore the angular velocity of gun and target= so that the angulanvelocitym the time of flight:

the deflection angle, the angular velocity ofthe shot due to the rotation of the gun being negligible. If now we have on the mounting a member, the movement of which from a zero position is proportional to the speed and sense of training and if we compound this movement with a movement proportional to the time of flight of the projectile, we are furnished with a means of measuring the necessary deflection angle. It will be evident that the movement of a target in a plane at right angles to that just considered i. e. in a plane at right angles to the gun trunnions can be measured and allowed for in precisely the same manner.

It is convenient to keep the pivot, around which the gun is trained, always vertical independently of the altitude of thetarget, and when this altitude is considerable, as in the case of aeroplanes or balloons, it is evident that the angular velocity with respect to the axis of the pivot may be largely increased, all the other elements '0, V, t remaining as before.

Let c be the angle of elevation of the target with respect to the ground, see Fig. 1, then the projection of the line Vt on the ground is Vt cos. cp and the angle moved through in the ground plane in time t is 3,:ot/Vz5 cos. p. But it is evident that the deflection angle between the gun and sights in the plane of fire is exactly as before, all the elements which determine this angle being unchanged. It is therefore necessary to multiply the angular velocity of the gun and target by cos. c to give the correct deflection angle when the gun is trained around its vertical pivot. In order to measure at any instant its correct time of flight, we employ a range finder, preferably of the well known coincidence type, mounted on the gun carriage and forming an integral part of the sighting gear. The operation of this range and consequently the speed of the motor 22 finder rotates cam gear so. arranged as to" give movements proportional to the rangeand also proportional to the time of flight of the projectile of the particular gun to which the gear is attached. i

' To measure the angular velocity We employ preferably a variable speed hydraulic transmitter which may be of any suit-able type, the necessary powerxbeingtaken from anyconvenie'nt source; in smaller mountings we preferablyemploy two or more men to rotate a fly wheel and supply power .for elevatin'g and'training.

If we employ a projectile fitted with time fusetwe may mounton the sight in' accnvenient vposition an'indicator or dial suitably graduated-t0 show the time of flight corresponding to the range at which the sights are set for the purpose of setting said time fuse, or we may read this time from'a scale in the range -manner.

In Figs. 2 to 14,1 is the range finder, mounted horizontally on the top of a box 2 which contains the sighting gear and is movable on trunnions 3 (see Fig. 6) rela-' tively to a casting 4 Which is itself movable around the same axis on trunnions 5. Both the box and the casting are supported by brackets 6, 6 fixed to the pivoting part of the mounting. The casting 4 is connected'to the gun cradle by rotatesthrou'gh the same angle as the I gun in the vertical plane.

9 are-the range finder windows, '10 the coincidence-eye piece, 11 the eye piece of the refiecting telescn e12 114 isthe eye P1608 of a reflecting telescope of known pattern carried on a suitable extensionof the rangefinder tube.

15 is an elevating are, driven through a worm gear by-motor 'element 16 of hydraulic transmission gear of which 17 is the pump element driven by a flexible shaft 18 from a source of power. "The speed ofthe pump is kept constant, and the delivery and consequently the speed of the motor 16 caii be varied by a lever 1-9.

- In Fig.3,20 is a worm wheel secured totlre fixed mounting, 22 the motor element worm, 23 the pump element 7 transmission gear driven b'y-a flexible shaft 24 from the source of power. The speed of the pump is kept constant and-the-delivery training worm,"21 a part of-the can be varied by a quadrant shaped lever 25.

(In Figs. 4 and 5, 26 is a hand wheel controllingthe pump 17- and '27 is a hand wheel controlling the pump 23 while 28 is a hand Wheel operating'the range finder and sight setting gear. The arrangement shown is designed to-be worked by two men oneof finder itself in the well known links 7 and 8 so that it with object glass '13.

rivin'g' the" of hydraulic whom looks through theeye pieces 10 and 11 and manipulates the Wheels 26 and 28v 14 and manipulates the handle 27.

It is convenient, though not indispensable, to place as is shown the two operators with their backs to the target, this arrangement allowing a more compact form of .mechaafter explained, by turning the wheel 26 causes the gun to follow the target in elevation carrying with it the sights, and he at the same time by means oi the wheel 28 gives the necessary angle of elevation to the sights. The other operator by turning the heel 27causes the gun to follow the-target in direction also carrying the sights with-it.

a pivot 29 (Fig. 6) by meansof a bell crank 30 as hereinafter described.

The hand wheel 28 operates the range finder'prism in the well known manner and at the same time rotates the spindle 31'. This s indle has a universal joint 32' placed immediately under the deflection pivot 29.

the range finder and the sighting gear, On the spindle 31 is fitted a-worni rotating a worm wheel 331 which'in turn rotates a cam 341 (Fig. 7). This cam bears on a component of the casting 4 (Fig. 12) and it is tive angular movementbetween 2 and 4 around the trunnions 3. The'cam 341 is cut to suit the range finder scale, the angular movement between 2and 4 being the tangent angle of elevation e for the given range with the given gun. On the spindle 31 1S mountwhich in turn rotates agroove cam 33. v This cam gives movement to a slider 34, the cam being so cut that the movement of the slider is proportional to the time of flight of the projectile. This slider rotates on its pivot 35 a groove d iece 36 the angular movement of which is a so proportional to the tlme of flight. j I

37 is a Erameslidably mounted on guides 38, 3'8, and carrying rightangles to its own-line of motion.

41 is a screw traversing the frame 37 by means of the hand wheel 26 (see Fig. 11).

42 is agroovcd piece carried by the box inclined to them-at a suitable angle in the same plane.

groove by aprojection 43, and 1t willbe seen that if .37 istraversed, the piece 39 gets a motion parallel to the plane of the paper proportional to the movement of 37 and the inclination of the groove 42. The piece 39 passing out through the'trminion 3 and op- .erating=the pump lever 19 (-Fig\ 4:). .The-

" while the other looks through (the eye piece.

nism. The one operator, as will be herein-' thus allowing relative angular'movement of evident thatits rotation will produce a rela-,

in it two pieces 39, 40, so mountedas to-be slidable in a direction at The piece 39' engages this.

has a groove 44 which engages a slider 45' 'The range finder 1 can'be deflected around 2 in a plane parallel to the guides 38 but 2g.

motion of the frame 37 is therefore directly proportional to the motion of 45 and hence to the motion of the lever 19 and to the speed of the elevating motor 16 andso to the speed of elevation of the gun.

The piece 40 engages the groove in 36 by a projection 46, and it will be seen that if 37 is traversed 40 gets a motion parallel to the plane of the paper proportional to the movement of 37 and the angle of inclination of the groovein 36, that is, proportional to the speed of elevation of the gun, say a, and

' to the time of flight t or proportional to co t.

The piece 40 engages a projection 46 on a wedge shaped piece 47 (see Figs. 12 and 14) which is mounted in the casting 4 and movable parallel to the, axis of the trunnions 3, 5 and on which rests the range cam 341.

It will be evident that the movement of this wedge will rotate the box 2 relatively to the casting 4, the wedge being so proportioned that this angle is equal to (a t. The projection 46* is suitably prolonged to make allowance for this angular movement.

It will be evident from the-drawing that y when either m or t is zero the amount of deflect-ion transmitted to the sight is also zero, since if i=0 the groove in 36 is parallel to the guides 38 and if '37 is in its central position the displacement of 40 is also zero, no matter what the inclination of the groove in 36. It will also be evident that the motion of 37 from its central position in either direction corresponds to the sense of rotation of the motor and hence of the gun, and that? the angle (a t is positive or negative depending on this sense. Assuming then that the range finder is set to a given range of target and that the speed of elevation positive or negative is adjusted to follow the target, it will be seen that the gun is elevated and with it the casting 4 around proportional to the axial distance from one of its faces real or imaginary, and suitably rounding the wedge 47. If the gun is to he used at an elevation of 90, one end of this cam becomes a circle concentric with the spindle, so that any movement due to range produces no angular movement between 2 and 4 in that position. The cam 341 is therefore mounted slidably on its spindle 48 and is kept by a spring 49 pressed against a suitably shaped plunger 50 carried by the casting 4. This plunger 50 carries a roller 51 which bears against a cam face 52 fixed to the pivoting part of the gun mounting.

to give motion to the pump lever 25.

an angle equal to 25.

It will be seen that as the casting 4 is elevated the roller 51 presses back the plunger and hence the cam thereby suitably decreasing the angle e; 2 and 4 may be held together by a spring connection if necessary.

The training of the gun is controlled in a manner similar to that employed for the elevation and it is therefore only necessary to briefly describe the parts of it which do not differ from the elevating 'control.

53 is a fixed groove giving motion to the piece 54, which in turn moves the slider 5 V7 56 is a grooved piece setproportional to the time of flight-by the slider 34used for the elevating gear; 57 is a piece getting a movement proportional to the time of flight and to the speed of the training motor and therefore to the speed of the training of the gun about its vertical pivot, or to 25 where to, is the angular speed of the gun about its vertical pivot, considering for the time being targets at small altitudes only. 57 has a groove 58 which engages one arm of the bell crank 30, the other arm of which engages with the range finder 1. The proportions of this bell crank are so arranged that it rotates the range finder and sights through As before, it'will be seen that the movement of the sight is correctly derived as to sense and amount from the movement of the hand wheel 27.

It has before been explained that for targets at a high elevation it isnecessary for a given range and speed of target and hence a given deflection angle on the sights, to increase the velocity of training so as to keep the gun on the target in the ratio i cosqS =where 9 is the angle of elevation of the gun.

To carry this into effect, we make the lever controlling the training pump in the form of a quadrant pivoted about one radial end and having its center 59, Fig. 1, coincident with the axis of the trunnions 3. The slider 55 moving this lever acts on it at a constant radius 1." from the center 59, its point of engagement with the gun at. zero elevation being at the point 60. As the gun with the sight is .elevated the slider traverses a circular path 60, 61, so that when the angle of elevation has become say 45 the point of contact has moved to 61. It will now be clear that the efi'ect on the lever of a given movement of the slider has been increased in the proportion of and hence the angular nQvement increases in the given proportion.

20 "preferably provide an extra telescope simi- The details of the quadrant shaped-lever and its connection are shown more clearly in Figs. 6 .and 10 where 25--is the lever with pivots at 62 and 63. 64-. is the attachmentto the pump, and 65 is a ball movable in an undercut circular groove in the lever; The end of the slider 55 which embraces the ball and so deflects the lever is shown in section.

In what has preceded we have assumed that the range finder is placed horizontally as shown and described in our drawings, but we may also use a range finder with a base line at any angle, preferably at right angles to the position described (see Figs. 15 and 16). In this case we preferably turn the eye piece or eye pieces through a right angle from the first so that the axes .of the eye pieces are parallel with the trunnion aroundwhich the whole gear rotates, and as nearly coincident therewith as convenient. We also lar to the training members telescope, and

an extra man to maneuver the gun in elevamanner as was the range finder before. 67

to the sights precisely as before. We may is the range finder with coincidence eye. piece 68, windows 69, 69, and'hand wheel 70. The motion of the ha-n'd wheel is communicated further arrange to move the range finder and sights independently by a small amount in two directions at right angles to one another for the purpose of initial alinement with the gun, for correction of errors in workmanship, or in connection with observation of fire or drift of projectile but this forms no part of our present invention and is not shown in the drawings.

J What we claim is l. The combination of a gun cradle, trun' nions fixed to the cradle, bearings for the trunnions, a support for the bearings, a range finder carried by the support, range finding mechanism carried by the range .finder and means whereby the movement of the range finding mechanism varies the angle between the axis of the range finder and the axis of the trunnions.

2. The combination of a gun cradle, trunnions fixed to the cradle, bearings forthe trunnions, a support for the bearings, a range finder carried by the support, a sight fixed to the range finder, range finding mechanism carried by the range finder and means whereby the movement of the range finding mechanism varies the angle between the line of sight and the axis of the trunnions.

proportional to the angular velocity of the and free to tion at right angles to-its line ofmovement, 130

8-. In sighting mechanism, the combinetionof a part moved proportionally to the angular velocity of the gun in elevation, a part moved proportionally to the time of flight of the projectile, means for combining the two movement's, and means for applying {he resultant movement to deflectthe sight me. i 4. In sighting mechanism, the combination of a slide, means for causing the slide to be moved in a straight line for a distance proportional to the angular-velocity of the gun in elevation, a guide pivoted to the slide, means for rotating the-guide about its pivot proportionally to the time of flight of the projectile, a second slide carried by the first and free to move relatively to it in a. direction at right angles toits line of movement, a project-ion on the second slide engaging with the guide, and means for causing the movement of the second slide to deflect the sight line. a

5. In sighting mechanism, the combina-* tion of a part moved proportionally to the angular velocity of the gun in azimuth, a part moved proportionally to the time of flight of the projectile, means for combining the two movements, and means for applying the result-ant movement to deflect'the sight line.

6. In sighting mechanism, the combination of a slide, means for causing the slide to be moved in a straight line for a distance gun'in' azimuth, a guide pivoted to the slide, means for rotating the guide about its pivot proportionally to the time of flight of the projectile, a second slide carried by the first and free to move relatively to it in a direc' tion at right angles to its line of movement, a projection on the second slide engaging with the guide, and means for causing the movement of the second slide to deflect thesight line.

7. In sighting mechanism, the combination of a partmoved proportionally to the angular velocity of the gun in azimuth, a part moved proportionally to the time of flight of the projectile, means for combining the two movements, means for applying the resultant movement to deflect the sight line,

and means for automatically varying the angular velocity of the mounting about'its. vertical pivot to suit the altitude of the target; I

8. In sighting mechanism, the combination of aslide, means for causing the'slide to be moved in a straight line for a distance proportional to the angular velocity of the gun in azimuth, a guide pivoted to the slide, means for rotating the guide about its pivot proportionally to the time of flight of the projectile, a second slide carried by the first move relatively to it ina direc-' a projection on the second slide engaging with the uide, means for causing the movement of t e second slide to deflect the sight line, and means for automatically varying the angular velocity of the mounting about its vertical pivot to suit the altitude of the target.

9. In a gun mounting the combination of sights, means for varying the elevation of the sights and a part by which the gun is maneuvered in elevation and the sights are simultaneously set at the angle to the bore of the gun required for the elevation and the rate of movement of the gun.

10. In 'a gun mounting, the combination of sights, means for varying the elevation of the sights and apart by which the gun is 

